I think the only real difference here is that a lot of BJJ guys view the guard as an offensive position (which it can be), regardless of whether or not it's an optimal one. MMA rules change how the guard is used because you're getting punched in the face, hence a lot more closed guard work with the legs to hold off the GnP.

So like I said, this is more about BJJ vs MMA.

1/04/2006 1:43pm,

Teh El Macho

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpaLumpa

I've little idea what the hell x-guard is. De la riva really is about exploiting combat base. You're off base on spider though, it is the only good open guard I have no-gi. Generally you're controlling their arms, which intuitively has an mma application.

That's what Bravo's press releases seem to imply. The only aspect I've worked with any diligence has been rubber-omapalata sweep.

How it is used is beyond my comprehension since I'm a n00b, nor do I know it's effectiveness or validity... totally off-topic, but I though it would be to post the link since this guard got mentioned in this thread.

How it is used is beyond my comprehension since I'm a n00b, nor do I know it's effectiveness or validity... totally off-topic, but I though it would be to post the link since this guard got mentioned in this thread.

The point of x-guard seems to be to use your opponent's base against him. There are good sweeps there, though I'm not a huge fan of it, currently. I am pretty green at getting into it, so that might be why I dislike it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpaLumpa

You're off base on spider though, it is the only good open guard I have no-gi. Generally you're controlling their arms, which intuitively has an mma application.

To each his own I guess. Do you still grip like a standard gi spider guard or is there a no-gi version that I am not aware of or that I don't have the same name for?

Scrapper: To be honest, you might actually know several of these positions without "knowing" that you know them. I never thought I knew what de la riva was until I asked my instructor about it. He explained that he just calls it an outside hook, and that he had, in fact, taught me this before. I realized he was correct after he showed it to me again. It's possible that you've been in lots of different "guards" in a transitory manner without knowing their "famous" names.

1/04/2006 2:54pm,

Phrost

Which is true, because our terminology sucks.

1/04/2006 2:56pm,

Aesopian

The x-guard is the cat's meow. One day I'll write that post about how it ties into my butterfly and half guard. And how De la Riva ties into half and x-guard.

And don't get too hung up on the names. They are handy for communicating to others but if you just think of them as a range of connected positions, hooks and leverages, the distinctions between them gets blurry and is lost.

1/04/2006 2:58pm,

Phrost

Aeso... read my training log. Is there a name for the sub I bumbled into?

1/04/2006 3:01pm,

PEtrainer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aesopian

The x-guard is the cat's meow. One day I'll write that post about how it ties into my butterfly and half guard.

Does Eddie Bravo approve of the X-Guard?

1/04/2006 3:04pm,

Teh El Macho

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aesopian

The x-guard is the cat's meow. One day I'll write that post about how it ties into my butterfly and half guard. And how De la Riva ties into half and x-guard.

And don't get too hung up on the names. They are handy for communicating to others but if you just think of them as a range of connected positions, hooks and leverages, the distinctions between them gets blurry and is lost.

I'm looking forward to see that post. I especially like that one you wrote about the basketball drills. I try not to get hung up on names cuz I'm bad with names to begin with. :eusa_wall I work and learn much better when I think of connecting the dots. :cachas:

1/04/2006 3:06pm,

Aesopian

Eddie shows two basics x-guard sweeps in his book as part of his half guard, but he just uses them to close the distance on a standing opponent while buttscooting, and I think he says he only really uses them to get to half guard. He doesn't seem to have a very developed x-guard game, but he approves.

1/04/2006 3:08pm,

Cassius

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aesopian

The x-guard is the cat's meow. One day I'll write that post about how it ties into my butterfly and half guard. And how De la Riva ties into half and x-guard.

And don't get too hung up on the names. They are handy for communicating to others but if you just think of them as a range of connected positions, hooks and leverages, the distinctions between them gets blurry and is lost.

I'm not familiar with the De la Riva/half guard/x-guard series, but I have a half-guard/butterfly/x-guard series that is bread and butter for me, except that I tend to heavily favor butterfly over x-guard. That series is one of two or three ways that I am generally successful at transitioning to x-guard, though.

I concur wholeheartedly with the series of positions, hooks, and leverages bit.